Student Engagement through Technology
By:
Jackie Ruley


Description:
Instructional technology is a fun way of applying knowledge that crosses all learning styles. Instructional technology brings education and technology together. The interaction between technology and the student helps to direct their energy towards learning. I look at it as a partnership in education. It allows the students to have hands on activities as well as the opportunity to print the material to review and to be able to listen to it. It is the See It, the Know It and Do It in education.
Process:

I took a look at all of the projects that I had been working on. I wanted to use something that really made an impression on me and that would be a useful skill for all ages. I searched Thinkfinity looking for topics of interest such as eating, table manners, and restaurants. I came across two topics that could be used across multiple grade levels.
(1) Cooking Up Descriptive Language: Designing Restaurant Menus (2) Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt: Researching Nutrition to Advertise for Health.

I found these two topics to be the best because:


  • They encouraged creative thinking.
  • They allowed the students to work in groups.
  • The assignments were practical and useful.
  • The students gained knowledge that can use throughout life.
  • The assignment involved the use of technology to complete their final project.


Documents:

Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt: Researching Nutrition to Advertise for Health. The students go on a scavenger hunt to collect labels of their favorite foods. The students use the web to research nutritional terminology. Will they eat it after they read it?



Cooking Up Descriptive Language: Designing Restaurant Menus. The students collect menus from a variety of resturants to learn about descriptive writing. Want a creative way to teach descriptive writing, let the students create a restaurant menu.

Audio:



Reflection:

I selected my Thinkfinity topics to be my best examples of student engagement through technology. Thinkfinity offered a wealth of subjects for various age groups. In my research for information, I could sense that the instructors created the courses with the students in mind. I like the use of logic and being practical. Practical makes it useful and logic helps to make sense of it. When a student can see how useful a resource is, it makes it easier for them to apply it to life.
Everyone enjoys food. I found the courses to be a creative way to get students involved in reading labels and understanding nutrition as well as visiting restaurants and looking at menus for descriptive writing.
I was very excited after reading over my topics and understanding the steps. I felt that it was something that I could also apply in the community teaching others about health and nutrition.